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Lynn Community Honors Haiti Earthquake Victims

Students, Faculty Pick Up Trash, Deliver Meals To Underprivileged Children

Updated: 4:27 AM EST Jan 12, 2012

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Lynn Community Honors Haiti Earthquake Victims

Students, Faculty Pick Up Trash, Deliver Meals To Underprivileged Children

Updated: 4:27 AM EST Jan 12, 2012

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BOCA RATON, Fla. —

Students and faculty at Lynn University gathered together Thursday to remember the four students and two faculty members killed in the Haiti earthquake two years ago.

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Dr. Richard Bruno and Dr. Patrick Hartwick, as well as students Stephanie Crispinelli, Britney Gengel, Christine Gianacaci and Courtney Hayes, were killed in the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.

The victims were on a mission trip with Food for the Poor at the time of the earthquake. Their bodies were found in the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince more than a month later. Eight other members of the group were rescued shortly after the disaster.

"There's a reason why we made it back home safely, and we can't not use that," survivor Missy Elliot said. "We need to finish helping people and do what we started to do."

More than 800 students set out to pick up trash and improve their community.

"It is a somber day in many ways, but this is how we choose to remember those we lost," Lynn University President Kevin Ross said. "That's what they'd want us to do."

Not only will communities be cleaned, but money will be raised and meals will be collected for underprivileged children.

It's a comforting thought for a mother who lost her daughter on that fateful day.

"I'm at peace with what we've done and what we've accomplished," Jean Gianacaci said. "We've helped thousands of kids (who) have benefited from these girls already. In our lifetimes, it will be astounding what will be accomplished in their names."

Elliot said she hopes it becomes an annual tradition.

"We don't want people to forget, and we want this tradition to keep happening every single year," Elliot said.